EUROPEAN

COMMISSION

Brussels, 16.12.2015
COM(2015) 644 final

REPORT FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND

THE COUNCIL
Report on the evaluation of Directive 2008/122/EC of the European Parliament and of
the Council of 14 January 2009 on the protection of consumers in respect of certain
aspects of timeshare, long-term holiday product, resale and exchange contracts

EN

EN

1. INTRODUCTION
This report provides an assessment of the application of Directive 2008/122/EC (the
Timeshare Directive) in Member States and evaluates its effects.
The 2008 Timeshare Directive repealed former Directive 94/47/EC1 and modernised its
provisions in order to deal with the emergence of new products in the travel market. It
covers a broader range of holiday-related services characterised by long-term
commitments or significant financial risks for consumers, namely:
-

timeshare contracts, of more than one year under which a consumer, for
consideration, acquires the right to use overnight accommodation for more than one
period of occupation;

contracts for long-term holiday products by which a consumer, for consideration,

acquires the right to obtain benefits in respect of accommodation, either in isolation or
together with travel or other services (such as membership in discount holiday clubs,
which offer discounts on travel and accommodation in different resorts for a fixed
period of time);

exchange contracts under which a consumer, for consideration, joins a system that
allows him to enjoy overnight accommodation or other services in exchange for
granting others, on a temporary basis, access to the benefits of the rights arising from
his own timeshare contract;

resale contracts under which a trader, for consideration, assists a timeshare owner to
resell his timeshare rights or long-term holiday product.

With reference to such contracts, the Timeshare Directive lays down a number of consumer
rights. These include strict rules on pre-contractual and contractual information that the
trader has to provide to the consumer, the right for the consumer to withdraw from the
contract within 14 calendar days, and a ban on advance payments during the
withdrawal period.
Timeshare and other long-term holiday products may often be cross-border in nature, where
the marketing and/or conclusion of the contract takes place in a country other than in the
consumers home country, and where the properties or clubs concerned are located in other
countries.
This report is based on several resources on information:
1

Directive 94/47/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 26 October 1994 on the protection of
purchasers in respect of certain aspects of contracts relating to the purchase of the right to use immovable
properties on a timeshare basis

Since August 2013 the Commission services have been carrying out detailed
transposition checks of the national legislations on their compliance with Directive
2008/122EC.
In May 2014, an EU level meeting with all Member States' authorities was organised
to inquire into the functioning of the Directive in all the EU Member States. The
Commission services also received complaints directly from consumers, and
addressed national authorities with the concerns brought to the Commission's
attention.
Study on the practical application of the Timeshare Directive 2008/122/EC:
The preparation of this report was also supported by an external study conducted in
20142, including an online survey,3 followed by interviews with individual
stakeholders4, and five regional workshops.5 Another important source of information
was the database for complaints used by the European Consumer Centres Network
(ECC-Net).6
2. TRANSPOSITION OF THE DIRECTIVE
Member States had to transpose the Directive into national law by 23 February 2011.
Fourteen Member States did not meet this deadline and the Commission therefore launched
infringement proceedings for non-communication of transposition measures.7 The last
Member State to fully transpose the Directive was Spain in March 2012.8 Consequently, the
Directive was fully transposed across the EU over a year later than scheduled. This obviously
had an impact on the availability of data to assess its practical application.
Whilst 15 Member States enacted the Directive in a sector-specific piece of legislation, the
remaining 13 Member States transposed it into their civil code, consumer code or other
general frameworks related to consumer protection rules.

Evaluation Study on the Application of the Timeshare Directive 2008/122/EC by the Centre for Strategy and
Evaluation Services (CSES) available at
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/consumer_rights/travel/timeshare/index_en.htm
3
See p. 3 of the CSES Final Report and annex B, p. 102. The results of this online survey have to be interpreted
cautiously as it mainly caught the attention of consumers who had experienced difficulties in connection with
their holiday product. Therefore, the results of the online survey focus on the structure of the problems only
replies of consumers having experienced problems have been taken into account. In addition, the vast majority of
respondents (89.1 %) had concluded their contract before 2012, i.e. before the application of the Directive.
Nearly 60 % of consumers who replied to the survey had concluded their contract in Spain.
4
Interviews were carried out with 88 national authorities, timeshare and consumer associations, specialised law
firms, timeshare businesses and individual consumers.
5
Workshops were held in those EU Member States with a significant timeshare market, i.e. France, Malta,
Spain, Sweden and the UK.
6
Data of ECC-Net complaints recorded in 2007-13 were analysed. Information included the country of origin of
the complainant (consumer), the country of origin of the trader, classification of the complaint according to the
EU instrument applicable to the situation, and the classification of the problem.
7
Infringement proceedings were launched against Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Italy,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.
8
The cases were closed by the Commission on 31 May 2012. See: http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-12528_en.htm.

As of August 2013, following detailed analysis of transposition measures, the Commission

engaged in a dialogue with 21 Member States9 to clarify certain issues of incorrect
transposition10.
As a result of this overall transposition check, several Member States amended their
legislation; to date, the dialogue is still on-going with two Member States.11
3. IMPACT OF THE DIRECTIVES MAIN HORIZONTAL PROVISIONS
Since the application of the 2008 Directive, complaints recorded by ECC-Net across the EU
have decreased, from an average of 2 150 a year in 2008-11 to an average of 1 820 in
2012-13.12 The Association of Timeshare Owners Committees (TATOC)13 recorded a
significant drop in the number of complaints concerning UK timeshare owners, who concern
over half of all complaints in this sector according to ECC-net data.
The decrease in number of complaints coincides with the entry into application of the
Directive. This data therefore suggests that overall the Timeshare Directive has had a
positive impact14.
3.1. Right of withdrawal
The 2008 Timeshare Directive replaced the previous minimum withdrawal period of 10 days
with a fully harmonised withdrawal period of 14 days across the EU for all four relevant
contracts falling under its scope of application.
Application of the right of withdrawal
The online survey shows that full harmonisation of the right of withdrawal is seen as a
positive development by both traders and consumers. However, a high percentage (38.5 %)15
of consumers who experienced problems still reported they were unable to exercise their
right of withdrawal.16 This figure indicates possible shortcomings in the enforcement of
this provision17.

Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Ireland, France, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania,
Hungary, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Sweden, Spain and the UK.
10
See Chapter 2.3, p.13 of the CSES final report. Incorrect transposition stemmed mainly from
misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the relevant provisions. A recurrent issue was the transposition of
Article 9(2) and 10(2). All concerned Member States except one modified their legislation.
11
Spain (incorrect implementation) and Czech Republic (incorrect transposition)
12
CSES final report, point 3.3.1 on p.30
13
The Association of Timeshare Owners Committees (TATOC) is a consumer association for UK timeshare
owners (www.tatoc.co.uk). According to their statistics, 1537 complaints were recorded in 2010 compared with
only 781 in 2013; see also the CSES final report, table 3.11.
14
Due to the lack of other available data and the relatively short time of application of the Directive, it is not
possible to draw final conclusions from these data.
15
Figure 3.6 of the CSES final report
16
For those respondents who bought timeshare or related products before the 2008 Directive started to apply,
only 27 % reported the same problem.
17
However, no further information from another source is available to confirm the impact of the directive

3.2. Pre-contractual information and language requirements

The Directive introduces uniform rules on language and on pre-contractual and contractual
information requirements. The same marketing rules apply across the EU, reducing business'
legal advice costs and allowing consumers to make more informed choices. The annexes to
the Directive contain a set of forms for the provision of fully harmonised pre-contractual
information and a standard form to facilitate a consumers potential withdrawal within 14
days. The Directive requires the information to be provided on a durable medium, which can
be kept on record, free of charge, and unchanged.
Regarding language requirements, the Directive establishes that consumers can elect to
receive pre-contractual information and the contract itself in the language of the Member
State in which they are resident or of which they are a national.
Application of pre-contractual information requirements
The survey results showed that, of the consumers who concluded a contract after the
application of the Directive and experienced problems, 70 % felt they were not sufficiently
informed about the contracts terms. When compared with the 76 % of consumers18 who
experienced problems with contracts concluded before the 2008 Directive and felt
misinformed about their terms, the situation has not improved much.
Nonetheless, according to the study, the new rules on pre-contractual information are
generally perceived to be beneficial by consumers. Businesses on the other hand feel that the
new requirements have created additional paperwork and increased operational costs19. They
feel that the form set out in the Directives annexes could be simplified.
Application of language requirements
Survey results20 show that, since the application of the Directive, only 7 % (as opposed to 9 %
previously) of surveyed consumers received pre-contractual information in a language they
did not understand. Therefore, from a consumers perspective, this issue does not appear to be
a cause for concern. Some timeshare businesses, however, consider such language
requirements as costly and cumbersome21.

3.3. Ban on advance payments

The rule relating to the ban on advance payments during the withdrawal period has been
retained from the former Directive 94/47/EC. The Timeshare Directive clarifies the conditions
of this ban, which ensures that all kinds of remuneration not only to the trader but also to
18

These figures sum up survey results in Table 4.3, p. 39 of the CSES final report
Table 4.2, p. 40 of the CSES final report; actual increases in costs for businesses were not quantified in the
study.
20
Table 4.3, p. -41 of the CSES final report
21
This information is based on interviews and replies to on-line questionnaires by businesses. Exact figures are
not available to quantify such costs.
19

any other third party are prohibited. It also applies throughout the extended withdrawal
period, where the trader has failed to provide all required information in the contract. The
research shows that consumers see this provision as beneficial. Traders however, consider this
ban as harmful for their businesses, arguing that many consumers do not take their
commitments to the timeshare contract seriously22.
Despite this provision existing for almost 20 years, research indicates that of the consumers
who bought timeshare or related products in or after 2012 and experienced problems, 80.8 %23
were asked to make payments before the end of the withdrawal period.
This shows that businesses do not comply with this provision and that enforcement
should be improved.
4. HOLIDAY SERVICE PRODUCTS COVERED BY THE DIRECTIVE
4.1. Timeshare contracts
It is now sufficient for a timeshare contract to last one year instead of the previous three years,
to fall under the scope of the Timeshare Directive.
The Timeshare Directive also removed the rigid references to immovable property contained
in the previous Directive; therefore, contracts for accommodation on cruise ships, canal boats
and caravans are also covered.
Comparative data (consumer survey results, ECC-Net complaints)
Survey results show that the percentage of problems faced by traditional timeshare owners has
significantly dropped since the application of the Timeshare Directive24. This has been
confirmed by ECC-Net data, which shows that since the application of the Timeshare
Directive, only 16 % of complaints related to this Directive were lodged against traditional
timeshare providers. This suggests that overall the Directive has had a positive
impact on the conventional timeshare market as far as consumer protection is
concerned.
Issues not covered by the Timeshare Directive 2008/122/EC
At the time of updating former Directive 94/47/EC, there was a lack of evidence regarding
internal market or consumer protection problems in this area. The new Timeshare Directive,
therefore, does not establish specific rules on the consumers right to terminate a contract or
on their participation in the decision-making process concerning timeshare properties and
related maintenance fees. Since such issues are not regulated at EU level, Member States are
free to establish national laws to ensure an appropriate level of consumer protection.

22

This information is based on interviews and replies to on-line questionnaires by businesses. Exact figures are
not available to quantify such costs.
23
Figure 3.6 of the CSES final report
24
46.3 % before the 2008 Directive, against 17.1 % thereafter.

1. Maintenance fees
The survey reveals that timeshare owners often face increases in maintenance or service fees
for no objective reason. Of those surveyed who have experienced problems, 71.7 % of
respondents had this issue for contracts concluded before the application of the Directive, i.e.
at a time when traders were not bound by harmonised EU rules on pre-contractual information
requirements.25 This figure has dropped to only 15.4 %26 since then. Such data points to a
good initial impact of the transparency requirements introduced by the Directive.
2. Termination of the contract
Research has shown that terminating the timeshare contract is one of the most problematic
issues for consumers.27 The procedures and conditions for terminating timeshare contracts
vary across Member States. In particular, problems have been reported relating to perpetuity
or very long-term clauses attached to timeshare contracts, which have a particular bearing
when the timeshare owner dies and the beneficiary wishes to terminate the contract. Such
clauses could and should be challenged under the Directive 93/13/EEC on Unfair Contract
Terms.28 However, most timeshare owners are seemingly unaware of this legal possibility.
This can be changed through a more proactive attitude from the national enforcement
authorities, increased awareness-raising activities at national level and, where appropriate,
targeted legal actions by timeshare owners associations or consumer organisations. The
situation is more complex in certain countries (such as Italy, Spain, Portugal and France)
where a timeshare right is regarded as a right on a real estate property (and hence timeshare
owners have to be registered in the national land registers). Since they are then seen as
intrinsically linked to the real estate property at stake, such contracts are automatically
inherited with almost no possibility for the beneficiary to terminate them, unless they succeed
in selling them to someone else. Recent legislative developments in some of these countries
(in particular France) aim to resolve the situation by allowing the beneficiary to exit the
contract within a certain timeframe.
The impossibility of terminating existing timeshare contracts was addressed in an interesting
way by a non-EU country, where timeshare owners were facing these problems.29 Industry
has also taken self-regulatory steps to address this problem; for example, the Resort

25

See in particular the detailed description of price, including additional obligatory costs and other recurrent
fees, in the standard information form of Annex I to the Directive.
26
Figure 3.6 of the CSES final report.
27
The July 2014 research project prepared by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) entitled
Disposal of timeshares and other long-term holiday products a report for BIS and the European
Commission. This specifically deals with the difficulties that UK owners of timeshare and long-term holiday
products face in selling their rights or otherwise terminating their contracts.
28
This situation is further analysed in section 6. 2.
29
The above-mentioned UK CMA research reported that, in Israel, a recent amendment to the Consumer
Protection Law enables consumers to cancel timeshares agreed before 24 March 2014 by simply sending a
written notice. The cancellation will come into effect at the end of the following annual period and the trader is
not allowed to charge any cancellation fees. This law came into force on 24 September 2014 and applies to
timeshares located in Israel. It will thus be applicable also to EU citizens who own timeshares there.

Development Organisation requested all of its members30 to put an exit programme in place
for timeshare owners who wished to terminate their timeshare contracts by the end of 2012.31
Such developments show that this issue could be addressed without any need for a
specific, EU-wide legislative intervention. Such intervention could pose a number of
challenges in light of the general principles of non-retroactivity of new EU legislation
and of proportionality.
4.2. Long-term holiday products
At the time of reviewing Directive 94/47/EC, it was evident that the lack of regulation of
long-term holiday products created substantial problems for consumers and businesses, as
indicated by the number of complaints submitted to ECC-Net, consumer organisations, public
authorities and to the European Commission. Therefore, the Timeshare Directive
2008/122/EC also covers contracts related to such products. A long-term holiday product can,
for example, be membership in a holiday club, which allows a consumer to book
accommodation at discounted rates worldwide. The new Directive specifies that payments for
such contracts must be made in annual instalments of equal value.32 Additionally, it clarifies
that such contracts can be terminated without any penalties as from the moment the consumer
receives the invitation to pay the second instalment.33
Comparative data (survey results, ECC-Net complaints)
The consumer survey highlights that there has been a sharp increase in the number of
problems experienced by consumers in relation to long-term holiday products, from 11.9 %
pre-Directive to 57.2 % post-Directive34. Similarly, ECC-Net data shows that 57.6 % of all
complaints linked to the Timeshare Directive were lodged against holiday club companies.35
This shows that compliance by traders of long-term holiday products has to increase and
that issues related to this trade could be the focus of strengthened enforcement activities.
4.3. Exchange
Prior to the Timeshare Directive, contracts relating to the exchange of timeshare rights were
often the subject of complaints; which included situations where professionals would give
consumers the misleading impression that they were offering an almost unlimited choice of
timeshare properties for such exchanges. These contracts were not covered by the previous
Directive 94/47/EC. Today, consumers' rights to detailed pre-contractual information, to
30

The Resort Development Organisation is the EU-wide trade association for vacation ownership across Europe.
It brings together traders of various types of holiday products. See also: http://www.rdo.org/.
31
Such exit routes include offering owners the option to move to a short-term product that terminates after a set
number of years, or directing owners to a so called exit club that gives members the option to leave without
penalty after a minimum time period (typically ranging from 2 to 5 years).
32
Article 10(1) of Directive 2008/122/EC
33
Article 10(2) of the Timeshare Directive 2008/122/EC
34
The most frequent issue related to LTHP products is non-compliance with pre-contractual information
requirements (misleading information about the product, misleading information about the possibility to re-sell
and about the right of withdrawal), see Figure 3.2 of the CSES final report
35
Table 3.10 of the CSES final report

withdraw within 14 days, and the ban on traders accepting advance payments apply to
exchange contracts.
Comparative data (survey results, ECC-Net complaints)
The survey reveals the percentage of problems linked to holiday exchange schemes has
significantly dropped since the application of the Timeshare Directive, from 31 % to 5.7 %.
ECC-Net data shows that problems with exchange contracts are by now very marginal (only
0.6 % of all complaints related to contracts covered by the Timeshare Directive). A similar
result arose from the data of TATOC, the Association of Timeshare Owners Committees in
the UK.36
Hence, the Directive appears to have had a very positive impact as far as holiday
exchange schemes are concerned.
4.4. Resale
Resale contracts were specifically included within the scope of the 2008 Timeshare Directive.
This was to ensure additional consumer protection for contracts under which a trader assists
the timeshare owner in reselling his timeshare rights or long-term holiday product. When
reselling, consumers may often be in a vulnerable position for various reasons (e.g. health
condition, age, difficult financial situation). Many complaints related to this issue, especially
where resale agents took a deposit although no resale later took place. Therefore, in addition
to the general provisions, the Timeshare Directive now provides a ban on any advance
payments until the actual sale of the timeshare or long-term holiday product takes place.
Comparative data (survey results, ECC-Net complaints)
According to ECC-Net data, the percentage of complaints related to resale problems has
remained stable and relatively low both prior to and after the entry into force of the Directive
(around 10%).
According to the survey, 93.5% of consumers who tried to sell their timeshare or holiday
product did not succeed37. Various examples of scams were reported by consumer protection
authorities and consumers during the interview programme and workshops38. These examples
included resale companies taking advantage of vulnerable owners, convincing them to agree
to arrangements involving additional payments instead of the promised sale of their products.
National enforcement authorities must ensure proper enforcement of the 2008
Timeshare Directive in conjunction with all the other relevant EU consumer protection
legislation (in particular the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and the Unfair

36

Table 3.11 of the CSES final report (just 14 cases in 2013 compared with 277 cases related to resale contracts
in the same period).
37
Table 4.6 and 4.7 of the CSES final report this, however, might be merely an indication of the current
situation of the timeshare and the long-term holiday products market.
38
Both organised within the CSES study.

Contract Terms Directive). The correct application of these instruments is crucial in

tackling scams from resale companies.
5. HOLIDAY SERVICE PRODUCTS NOT COVERED BY THE DIRECTIVE
AND FRAUDULENT PRACTICES
The research underlying this report highlights consumer detriment associated with new
products, such as short-term discount holiday clubs (membership of less than 1 year) and
leisure credit schemes39 that often seem designed to circumvent the Directive.40 Other
commercial practices have emerged which are likely to confuse consumers and impair their
ability to exercise their rights (e.g. a second contract requiring a deposit in circumvention of
the ban on advance payments; offers misleadingly advertised as not being timeshare). The
Directive, therefore, appears to have been subject to actions designed to circumvent its
requirements. The focus should now be on how to effectively address these activities and stop
them. The Commissions impact assessment accompanying the review of the 1994 Directive
clearly stated that the new Directive alone could not put a stop to the activities of companies
that intend to avoid its requirements or to act in a fraudulent manner. The online survey
confirms that the timeshare industry shares this view. Better enforcement and cooperation
among relevant authorities, including criminal enforcement authorities, is essential to
eradicate such fraudulent companies and rogue traders.41
6. INTERACTION WITH OTHER RELEVANT EU LEGAL INSTRUMENTS
The Timeshare Directive is sector-specific and complements other horizontal EU Directives
on consumer protection, such as, in particular, the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive42
relevant for tackling misleading and aggressive sales practices in the sector and the Unfair
Contract Terms Directive,43 which is relevant when assessing the possible abusive nature of
contract terms. However, contracts falling under the Timeshare Directive 2008/122/EC are
not subject to the Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU44. It is important to underline that,
of all the complaints related to timeshare and similar products recorded by ECC-Net, only
22.7 % were recorded as directly relating to issues regulated by either the 1994 or the 2008
Directive: most complaints instead concern issues related to the correct application of
other consumer protection instruments.

39

Leisure credit schemes generally last less than 365 days (typically 360 days) with the promise of free or
discounted future holiday bookings. They offer a range of services, with accommodation being only one of them
(even though sometimes not even mentioned in the written contract).
40
The UK European Consumer Centre has reported that consumer complaints about leisure credit schemes rose
by 140 % in the year to the end of March 2013 60 complaints against 25 in 2012.
41
See section 10 of this Report: Enforcement of the Directive, subsection Police investigation and criminal
prosecution.
42
Directive 2005/29/EC, OJ L 149 of 11 June 2005, p. 22
43
Directive 93/13/EEC, OJ L 95 of 5 April 1993, p. 29
44
Directive 2011/83/EU, OJ L 304 of 22 November 2011, p. 64

10

6.1. The Unfair Commercial Practices Directive

During the period 2007-13, 29.2 % of all complaints registered by ECC-Net on timeshare and
similar products were linked to unfair commercial practices. The online survey reveals even
more striking figures: of respondents who experienced problems, no fewer than 75 % or
68.6 % respectively felt they had been misled by a long-term holiday product offer or by a
timeshare offer. 40 % or 54.3 % respectively felt they had been pressured into a long-term
holiday product transaction, or into a timeshare transaction. The Unfair Commercial Practices
Directive applies to all business-to-consumer commercial practices, including those leading to
contracts subject to the Timeshare Directive. Due to its principle-based rules banning
misleading actions and omissions and aggressive commercial practices, the Unfair
Commercial Practices Directive enables the responsible authorities to protect consumers
before, during and after a contract is concluded. Pressure selling and resale scams are still
frequent in this holiday industry. Public enforcement authorities therefore need to stringently
apply the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive in this industry.
6.2. The Unfair Contract Terms Directive
45 % of timeshare-related complaints recorded by ECC-Net in 2012-1345 were linked to
contract terms. The Unfair Contract Terms Directive applies to business-to-consumer
contracts in general therefore it includes timeshare and holiday contracts. It prevents
significant imbalances in the rights and obligations of the parties to the detriment of the
consumer by requiring, for example, contract terms, which have not been individually
negotiated, to be drafted in plain and intelligible language; ambiguities to be interpreted in
favour of consumers; and unfair standard contract terms to be declared not binding on the
consumer. The Unfair Contract Terms Directive therefore complements the Timeshare
Directive in protecting consumers once the contract has been concluded. Enforcement
authorities should make further use of it in post-contract situations (e.g. in cases where
maintenance fees are unilaterally increased without any justification or where perpetuity
clauses are embedded in contracts). As individual consumers may have difficulties in
launching court actions to challenge their contracts under the Unfair Contract Terms
Directive, consumer associations could be more active in helping individuals to defend their
interests, and could play a more active role, including throughout court proceedings.
6.3. The Consumer Rights Directive
The Consumer Rights Directive 2011/83/EU, applicable as of 13 June 2014, strengthens
consumer rights, in particular regarding fully harmonised requirements on pre-contractual
information and the right of withdrawal for distance and off-premises contracts. It is worth
noting that the Timeshare Directive 2008/122/EC was a precursor of these consumer rights.
The Consumer Rights Directive only covers contracts which are not subject to the Timeshare
Directive. Therefore, all emerging holiday products designed to circumvent the Timeshare
Directive fall, in principle, under the scope of the Consumer Rights Directive. This covers, for
example, contracts of less than one year or contracts that do not involve accommodation. In
45

Figure 3.8 of the CSES final report.

11

these cases, the right to receive pre-contractual information according to the Consumer Rights
Directive applies. In addition, the right of withdrawal within 14 days from the conclusion of
the contract applies to all contracts concluded outside business premises or by means of
distance communication. If the consumer is not properly informed of his right of withdrawal
before the conclusion of the contract, the withdrawal period is extended by one year, resulting
in a withdrawal period of one year and 14 days.
7. RAISING AWARENESS
The online survey has shown that respondents are generally not sufficiently aware of
possible malpractices in the timeshare and holiday club industry.46
Awareness-raising efforts have been undertaken in a number of Member States, even prior to
the application of the Timeshare Directive.
In Denmark, a television programme investigating holiday scams was broadcast on one of the
main TV channels in autumn 2013. Subsequently the Danish European Consumer Centre
received many inquiries from consumers seeking help.
In the UK, a special task force Action Fraud was set up in order to inform consumers
about holiday-related scams and to identify and investigate frauds. The Office of Fair Trading
(now the Competition and Markets Authority) has been running campaigns at airports to warn
consumers of the risks associated with purchasing timeshares abroad and possible holidayrelated scams. Despite these actions, UK consumers are still some of the most frequent
victims of fraudulent traders47.
In 2014, a joint project was launched, involving several European Consumer Centres, to
develop ideas for effective prevention campaigns. It involves the development of tips for
consumers and will provide material for an awareness-raising campaign to be broadcast on the
internet. The European Consumer Centres will post the tips on their websites and actively
promote them.
More awareness-raising activities to improve consumer information would clearly be
beneficial. The work of the European Consumer Centres is a step in the right direction.
8. INDUSTRY SELF-REGULATION AND CODES OF CONDUCT
Codes of conduct
Research indicates that both business and consumer associations are willing to contribute
towards a better enforcement of the Timeshare Directive. Both the Resort Development
Organisation and TATOC48 require their business members to comply with their codes
of conduct. They have also taken other measures relating to alternative dispute
46

33.2 % of respondents were not aware at all, and another 35. 3 % of respondents were not very well aware.
Merely 10 % of respondents were well aware of malpractices in the timeshare and holiday industry. See table 4.8
of the CSES final report.
47
ECC-Net data indicate that around half of all complaints between 2007 and 2013 concerning timeshare and
related products were made by UK consumers.
48
TATOC (see footnote 12) provides the possibility for legitimate businesses to become affiliated companies.
TATOC has its own code of conduct and alternative dispute resolution mechanism.

12

resolution to improve the image of the industry as a whole. These codes provide a
framework for self-regulation that could be reinforced through work with public
authorities to promote awareness among consumers of their rights and of the dangers
posed by rogue traders.
9. ALTERNATIVE AND ONLINE DISPUTE RESOLUTION (ADR AND ODR
PLATFORM)
Across the EU, European Consumer Centres can help consumers in the process of handling a
complaint to traders through their dispute resolution mechanism. Article 14 of the Timeshare
Directive requests Member States to encourage the setting up of alternative dispute resolution
procedures by traders. In relation to timeshare, it is still in its infancy, but it is expected that
the Directive on Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Directive on
consumer ADR), which had to be applied in all Member States from 9 July 2015, will
improve the situation. It will ensure that alternative dispute resolution entities and procedures
are available to consumers throughout the EU and that consumers are aware of alternative
dispute resolution by establishing information obligations for traders.
The EU Regulation on Online Dispute Resolution is also expected to further facilitate the use
of such mechanisms both for domestic and cross-border contractual disputes concerning
contractual obligations stemming from online sales or services contracts. From 9 January
2016, the Online Dispute Resolution platform will allow consumers to submit these disputes
online and will refer them to the quality alternative dispute resolution entities notified to the
Commission under the Directive on consumer ADR. Some companies and timeshare owners
associations already provide alternative dispute resolution schemes. For example, in 2005 the
Resort Development Organisation established its dispute resolution scheme for the timeshare
industry. While this is a positive development, these mechanisms remain rather ineffective in
relation to fraudulent operators.
10. ENFORCEMENT OF THE DIRECTIVE
Enforcement issues by country of the consumer and trader
Around half of all complaints between 2007 and 2013 concerning timeshare and related
products, registered by the ECC-Net database, were made by UK consumers.49 The
overwhelming majority of consumer complaints registered by ECC-Net were lodged against
traders based in Spain.50
Available penalties
Enforcement procedures and penalties vary considerably from one Member State to another.
Member States have discretion in how to comply with the Timeshare Directive with regard to

49

Almost one in five complaints comes from consumers residing in the Nordic countries (in particular Sweden
and Norway). Other concerned consumers come from Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. See chapter 3.3.2
of the CSES final report.
50
Over 75 % of all complaints registered between 2007 and 2013 concerned Spanish traders, followed by 10 %
of complaints against traders based in Greece and 5 % against those based in Malta.

13

providing effective enforcement means and imposing effective, proportionate and dissuasive
penalties to ensure compliance with its provisions by traders.
Penalties available to enforcement authorities in case of breaches of the Directive vary
significantly among the Member States from administrative fines of EUR 1 500 to fines in
excess of EUR 100 000, or fines based on the annual turnover of the trader, e.g. up to 10 %51.
Police investigation and criminal prosecution
In view of the high number of consumer complaints registered by various organisations, the
penalties foreseen by national consumer laws do not appear to be efficient enough to
discourage fraudulent traders52. There is no EU-wide definition of "fraud" as a criminal
offence53; however, that does not seem to be a problem, as all Member States, under certain
circumstances, qualify fraud as a criminal offence in their criminal law; this offence typically
covers practices that have the objective of intentionally deceiving consumers and extorting
money from them with no intention of providing the service, or providing the product with the
characteristics that was promised. There is thus no indication of a need for an EU-wide
definition of fraud, but rather there is a need for a more ambitious application of criminal law
in that area. Member States therefore should be encouraged to take a more active approach
regarding the investigation and prosecution of fraudulent practices.54
In some Member States, investigating and prosecuting fraudulent traders involved in
consumer scams does not seem to be a priority. When assessing the seriousness of such
conduct the whole extent of the crime (including money laundering) and the possible
involvement of criminal organizations should also be taken into account.
Consumer associations and business associations have been very active in assisting law
enforcement authorities in investigating and prosecuting fraudulent conduct committed
by companies. As a result of such assistance, some important criminal cases against
fraudulent traders could be successfully launched.55

51

Estonia the country with the lowest level of penalty changed its legislation recently. The available
penalty is now EUR 9 600 instead of original EUR 640. See chapter 6.3 of the CSES final report
52
See chapter 4.6 and table 4.9 of the CSES final report: around 60% of surveyed businesses believe that the
Directive, despite providing substantial protection to consumers, is not sufficiently effective in relation to rogue
traders, who intentionally break consumer laws.
53
There is an EU-wide definition of fraud in the case of fraud affecting the Unions financial interest, which is
now included in the Convention on the protection of the European Communities financial interests of 26 July
1995. This Convention will be replaced by a Directive on the fight against fraud affecting the Unions financial
interests by means of criminal law, which is currently being negotiated in the European Parliament and the
Council (see COM(2012) 363 of 11 July 2012.
54
The effectiveness of such action can be demonstrated by one example: a significant drop in the number of
complaints registered by the Swedish Consumer Centre was recorded in 2013. This drop coincided with two
major police operations in 2013 undertaken against rogue traders in the holiday sector in Spain (the main holiday
destination of Swedish consumers). As a result, 18 companies were closed down in Spain.
55
Mindtimeshare, a registered association in Spain that represents the interests of European timeshare owners
who have been victims of fraud, has been very active in assisting public authorities in taking action against
unscrupulous companies. As a result, 18 companies based in Spain were closed down in 2013. In France, the
consumer association APAF-VTP is very active and contributed to the conviction of fraudulent traders, e.g. the

14

The cross-border dimension of such fraudulent practices and the effectiveness of the measures
taken by law enforcement authorities (police, prosecution services, courts) strongly depend on
the successful functioning of the established criminal law cooperation between the competent
authorities of Member States. Existing EU instruments for cooperation in criminal matters
provide a comprehensive legal framework for this purpose. The Directive 2014/41/EU
regarding the European Investigation Order in criminal matters will make it easier for
judicial authorities to collect evidence from another EU Member State during any
investigation.56 The investigative measures covered by this Directive include, for example,
interviewing witnesses, obtaining information or evidence already in the possession of the
executing authority, and (with additional safeguards) interception of telecommunications and
information on and monitoring of bank accounts. As regards the prosecution stage, the
European Arrest Warrant (established by Council Framework Decision 2002/584/JHA) is a
very effective tool for seeking the arrest and subsequent surrender of a requested person for
the purposes of conducting a criminal prosecution or executing a custodial sentence or
detention order.
Credit or debit card chargeback as remedy
Chargeback possibilities offered by providers of payment means have been identified as one
of the most effective short-term ways of obtaining redress when the Timeshare Directive
2008/122/EC has been breached. It is a process that allows consumers to ask their credit or
debit card provider to reverse a card transaction if there is a problem with the good or service
purchased, especially if an illegal activity can be proven. Study has shown that it has been
successfully used to ensure redress for consumers who were asked to make an advance
payment and subsequently were refused to exercise their right of withdrawal. Directive
2007/64/EC on payment services in the internal market (PSD)57 and Directive 2008/48/EC on
credit agreements for consumers (CCD)58 form the main legal bases of requesting a
chargeback. With regard to chargeback for the non-conformity of goods or services, Article
1559 of Directive 2008/48/EC applies, which covers credit card chargeback. Purchases where
debit cards are used can, nevertheless, be covered by national law60 or by the operating rules
of card companies. National consumer protection authorities and European Consumer Centres

Hakim Bouri case, 9 January 2014 and the Christine Dricot case, 24 January 2014 (CSES final report, chapter
6.5, page 83).
56
This Directive has to be transposed by Member States by 22 May 2017.
57
Directive 2007/64/EC provides a legal basis for chargeback for non-authorized use of cards
58
Directive 2008/48/EC provides a legal basis for chargeback for non-conformity of goods or services.
59
Article 15 1. Where the consumer has exercised a right of withdrawal, based on Community law, concerning
a contract for the supply of goods or services, he shall no longer be bound by a linked credit agreement.
2. Where the goods or services covered by a linked credit agreement are not supplied, or are supplied only in
part, or are not in conformity with the contract for the supply thereof, the consumer shall have the right to
pursue remedies against the creditor if the consumer has pursued his remedies against the supplier but has
failed to obtain the satisfaction to which he is entitled according to the law or the contract for the supply of
goods or services. Member States shall determine to what extent and under what conditions those remedies shall
be exercisable.
60
For example, in Denmark or Portugal

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should, where appropriate, systematically advise consumers to ask banks for a chargeback,
and as swiftly as possible since deadlines may apply.61
11. CONCLUSIONS
Based on the above findings, the Commission draws the following conclusions concerning the
application of the Directive:

Regarding aspects of the timeshare, long-term holiday product, resale and

exchange contracts falling within its scope, the Timeshare Directive appears
overall to be a useful tool in protecting consumers in this specific holiday sector.

Regarding aspects falling outside its scope (such as termination of contracts)

problems still occur. However, the analysis shows that these aspects can be
successfully addressed through targeted interventions at national level, efficient selfregulatory measures and a better enforcement of other relevant EU consumer law
instruments.

Specific attention must nonetheless be given to legal constructions and practices aimed
at circumventing the Directive. The Consumer Rights Directive, the Unfair
Contract Terms Directive and the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive can all
help to address such circumventions. The revised guidance for the Unfair
Commercial Practices Directive will, amongst other things, address the interaction
between it and the Timeshare Directive62.

At this stage, there seems to be no need to modify either the scope or the
provisions of the Directive.

In order to render the Directive more effective, there is a need to encourage national
enforcement authorities to focus on certain business practices and traders. This is
particularly the case for Spain, which is involved in half of all complaints
reported to European Consumer Centres across the EU, Iceland and Norway.

Where a conduct points towards criminal law, law enforcement authorities should be
quickly informed with a view to launching criminal investigations. The cross-border
dimension of fraudulent practices could be addressed more effectively by better use of
the measures on criminal law cooperation, established between the law enforcement
authorities of the Member States. Existing EU instruments for cooperation in criminal
matters already provide a comprehensive legal framework for this purpose.

Possible alternative ways of addressing existing problems, e.g. awareness-raising

campaigns, self-regulation and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, all of which
could also have a positive impact. In this respect, the European Consumer Centres

61

See a detailed ECC-Net report on chargeback in the EU/EEA:

http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/ecc/docs/chargeback_report_en.pdf.
62
The revised UCPD guidance document will be published before summer 2016 and will be available on
http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/consumer_rights/unfair-trade/unfair-practices/index_en.htm

16

have prepared a dedicated section on their websites with tips for consumers that will
be launched soon63.

More comprehensive strategies of national consumer protection authorities could

raise consumer awareness so as to ensure that their own citizens are more
informed about potential scams. Prevention is the most effective way of protecting
consumers. Research shows that legitimate businesses actively work on their
reputation and want to be seen as being compliant with the EU regulatory
regime. Associations representing these businesses and their clients draft codes of
conduct, set up alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and cooperate with
enforcement authorities when detecting fraudulent traders in this holiday sector.

The Commission has taken the necessary actions under Article 258 of the Treaty on
the Functioning of the European Union in cases where a Member State failed to
comply with its transposition obligations. The Commission will also exercise its
powers under this article whenever a Member State fails to comply with its
enforcement obligations. For this reason, the Commission services have begun a
dialogue with Spain regarding the correct enforcement of the Directive.

The Commission will further encourage Member States, where appropriate, to step up
their enforcement actions, including via the Consumer Protection Cooperation
network,64 and ensure the Directives provisions are complied with in all Member
States. Consideration will be given to further steps, such as targeted workshops with
key stakeholders. If deemed appropriate in light of the amount and impact of activities
that are undertaken at national level in response to this report, an additional evaluation
on the overall state of application of the Directive could be issued in three years time.

63

See Chapter 7 of this Report dedicated to Awareness Raising

Regulation (EC) No 2006/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 October 2004 on
cooperation between national authorities responsible for the enforcement of consumer protection laws (OJ 2004
L 364, p. 1).

64

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